Game board



March 31. 1925.

M. RITTER GAME BOARD Filed April 18, 1922 INVENTOR 81m ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 31, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MAX BITTER, or NEW 103.3, N. Y.

GAME BOARD.

Application filed April 18, 1922. Serial No. 1555,0230.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it'known that 1, Max BITTER, a citizen 1 have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Boards, of which the following is a specification.

One of the objects of this invention is the provision of a game in which a number of players may participate by projecting balls against deflecting obstructions that automa tically divert the balls into numbered alleys, each of which represent different score values.

Another object is in the provision of means by which the balls are returned to the players y alleys or runways each of which communicate with openings between the respective bafile rings.

A further object is to provide an interesting game board of relatively low manufacturing cost.

These objects are attained by the novel construction and arrangements of parts, hereinafter described and shown in the accompanying drawing, forming a material part of this disclosure and in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a game board costructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a partial top plan view broken away to show the ball return alleys.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the ball directing blocks.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the numeral 5 designates a floor board, downwardly inclined toward the front end, having parallel sides 6 secured to its edge, and a back 7 extending upward supporting the tapering side guards 8.

Secured to the floor 5, adjacent the sides 6, are parallel bars each having a pair of longitudinal semi-circular grooves 9-10 and 11-12 respectively.

Between the alley bars, toward the rear end of the board, is a block14, secured to the floor and provided at the front edge with a combined curved and bevelled face 15, adapted to intercept and upwardly deflect balls projected along the floor between the inner alley elements 10 and 11.

Secured within the rectangle, formed by the wall elements 7 and 8, 1s a secondary floor 16 having an arcuate end 17, supported on the block 14, inclined upward toward the rear, and secured concentrically on the secondary floor are a plurality of baflie ring elements 18, 19, 20 and 21 each of whic are of difl'erent heights, ,the center ring 18 being the highest and 21 the lowest, these differences in heights increasing the difiiculty of causing the ball to enter the annular pockets formed between the bafiie rings.

Circular apertures 22, 23, 24 and 25 are formed through thefloo-r 16, on the longitudinal center thereof and centrally between the bafiie rings. V

Angular blocks 26, as in Fig. 4, are fixed between the fioors 5 and 16 andprovided with a pair of semi-circular grooves 27 and 28, positioned in register with the apertures 22, 23, 24 and 25 in a manner adapted to receive a ball passing through the floor 16.

Grooved elbows 29 and 30 are interposed between the side bars and the angular blocks 26 forming continuous paths or grooved alleys, each of which are numbered as indicated with reference to scoring and adapt ed topconvey balls 33 from the apertures'to the forward end of the game board where they are stopped by contact with the centrally front end board 32, the same being reduced in height at the center to conform with the upper surface of the board 5.

In playing the gamethe board is set on a level table, the end 32 facing the player,

who being supplied with balls 33 of suitable size, rolls, snaps or otherwise projects the ball up the inclined floor of the board.

As the ball strikes the angular face 15 of the intersecting block 14, it is diverted angularly upward and rearward, dropping 9 down upon the floor 16, which being 1nclined, causes the ball to roll forward against the inner side of the bafile ring 21 and on reaching the aperture 25, drops down the grooved block 26, passes the elbow 29 and along the longitudinal groove 11 finally abuttin' the end board 32.

Shou d the projected ball drop into any of the other pockets formed by the baflie ring 20, 19 or 18, similar openings through the floor permit the ball to pass into connecting alleys as previously described, and which automatically indicate difierent score values.

Due to different heights of bafiie rings and their decreased radii, greater skill is required to cause a ball to enter the center ring; for this reason the highest scoring value is as signed the center ring, proportionally decreasing values being given t e larger rlngs. From the foregoin it will be seen that an interesting game has en described that may be played and enjoyed by old and young, the element of chance enhancing the game and skill readily acquired permits high scores to be attained agalnst the efiorts of several opponents of less experience.

As changes of construction could be made within the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the fore- 'goin description or shown in the drawings bein shal be interpreted as illustrative and not ina limiting sense Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is:-

. 1. In a game, the combination with a framed structurehaving an inclined floor, of

spherical elements adapted to be rolled on said floor, an inclined perforate plate over the rear of the floor, a lurality of concentrically spaced rings xed to said plate, grooved scoring alleys connecting with the res ective. spaces between said rings, a-ball 'de ector secured to the floor havin means for projecting a ball upward and into the spaces between said rings, and means for retaining balls in said alleys.

2. In a game, the combination of an inclined floor having rooved alleyslongitudinally adjacent' its si es, a central alley adapted to receive propelled balls, and aninclined plate "at the rear of the floor, of a plurality of spaced rings fixed to said plate, said rings of diflerent diameters and different heig ts presenting annular pockets therebetween, said pockets having a ertures through their bottoms, means for irectin balls passing through the apertures into sai for projecting a alleys, and means secured to the center alley propelled ball upward and into the pockets.

3. A game comprising a framed structure having an inclined floor, balls adapted to be rolled along said floor, a transverse block having means for intercepting and projectcorresponding connecting groove of one of said alleys.

4. In a game, the combination with a raised inclined plate having spaced concentric pockets containing apertures at their lowest points, an inclined floor, grooved alleys fixed at the sides of said floor, each of said alleys having separate connection with one of the mentioned apertures, and bearing an independent alley score, means for diverting projected balls into said pockets, means for returning the balls to the player, and means adjacent the front ends of the grooved alleys for stopping the returned balls.

' Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 23rd day of January, A. D. 1922.

MAX BITTER. 

